One of one hundred painted worldwide by artist Robert Wyland, this mural is in the process of being destroyed.
Constructed about a hundred years ago-give or take a few (exact date unknown), this building housed auto manufacture and repair companies that made use of ramps connecting each floor. Later on the structure offered warehouse and loft spaces. By the mid 1980's this was home to the Marketplace Design Center containing showrooms for interior design specialists.

Walked through the University of Pennsylvania campus a few days ago to see the Philadelphia School exhibit in College Hall....

The recently renovated Wistar Institute along the Spruce Street side of the campus:Wistar Institute by tehshadowbat, on Flickr
Locust Street and intersecting streets on campus were pedestrianized and adopted the name "Walks". Most-if not all-the buildings shown here date from before then. One still has an old street sign even....

Levy park considered the "center" of campus. This is the location of College Hall, Cohen Hall(the first and second buildings to be built as part of the West Philadelphia campus), Fisher Fine Arts Library and other lovely historic structures. Also the alternate "Love Park"
College (center) and Cohen Halls:College and Cohen halls by tehshadowbat, on FlickrCollege and Cohen halls by tehshadowbat, on Flickr

The "Philadelphia School" consisted of a group of architects (including Louis I Kahn, Robert Venturi, Denise Scott-Brown and Romaldo Giurgola) who were developing a resentment to the Modern Movement in the 1960's. Their ideas and works would lead to the development of what would be known as Postmodernism. I wasn't able to get as many of the shots as I wanted due to lighting issues so I will have to come back....

Constructed in 1888-1891, the Fisher (Furness) library served as the main library for the UPenn campus. Frank Furness personally collaborated with Melville Dewey (of Dewey Decimal System fame) to design the layout. When opened, this was considered the most top of the line library found anywhere.

However by the early 20th Century, Furness's unique blend of Victorian architecture was considered dated at best, and at worst outright embarrassing. In the 1920's architect Robert Rodes McGoodwin laid out plans to expand and modernize the library, a project that would have seen the entire structurereclad in the then popular Collegiate Gothic style. The first phase of this project was completed in 1931 in the form of the Ross Galleries addition. No further phases were completed (presumably because of the great Depression)

After World War II, talks began to circulate once again of the library's demolition, and in 1962 the Modernist Van Pelt Library was completed as a replacement facility. However the building escaped demolition and was added to the National Register of historic Places in 1972-with full Historic Landmark status in 1985. Architects Venturi, Rauch and Scott Brown were part of a team that oversaw a restoration process that started in 1986.

In 1991, one hundred years after it was completed the newly restored library was rededicated as the Anne & Jerome Fisher Fine Arts Library after the project's primary benefactors.

All throughout the library there are elaborate leaded-glass windows inscribed with quotes by William Shakespeare-these were chosen by Frank Furness's brother and Shakespearean scholar Horace Howard Furness: Furness Library by tehshadowbat, on Flickr

The Van Pelt Library which replaced the functions of the Furness Library when completed in 1962. All I have to say is that it is as charming as a typical Sears store from that era....Van Pelt Library by tehshadowbat, on Flickr

Furness is my favorite. After an architectural style falls out of vogue, it’s common to be seen as old fashioned and outdated. But it seems to me that institutional/commercial Victorian buildings were the most panned form of architecture in the decades that followed it’s time. I get it in some ways as I feel that the buildings have a severe look to them, if that makes sense. So many of his great works were lost but I had never known that the library was in danger at any point.

Furness is my favorite. After an architectural style falls out of vogue, it’s common to be seen as old fashioned and outdated. But it seems to me that institutional/commercial Victorian buildings were the most panned form of architecture in the decades that followed it’s time. I get it in some ways as I feel that the buildings have a severe look to them, if that makes sense. So many of his great works were lost but I had never known that the library was in danger at any point.

Great info and great pics!

Indeed....many Victorian structures all thoughout Center City were (if they were not demolished) severely disfigured on the bottom floors in the name of "modernization". The post WWII era could probably go down as the absolute worst period of time in terms of architecture and planning....